‘He’s a soldier!’ – Erik ten Hag hails Arsenal defender after Real Madrid win
'I'm happy with his progress.'
Erik ten Hag heaped praise on his former player Jurrien Timber after Arsenal’s stunning Champions League victory over Real Madrid.
Arsenal produced a huge shock in Europe earlier this week, thumping the Champions League holders 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
While only the first leg of their quarter-final tie, the win puts Arsenal in a strong position to advance to the semis ahead of next week’s return leg at the Bernabeu.
Much of the praise after the game naturally went to Declan Rice, who rifled two brilliant free-kicks past Thibaut Courtois, and Bukayo Saka, who was a constant menace following his injury return.
But former Manchester United manager Ten Hag also spoke glowingly of Arsenal defender Timber, who helped the Gunners keep a crucial clean sheet despite Madrid’s attacking talent of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and others.
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Ten Hag managed Timber while the pair were both at Ajax and has been pleased with his development since his £34m move to Arsenal.
Timber, 23, barely played last season after picking up an ACL injury but has been a key player for Mikel Arteta this term, making over 40 appearances in all competitions.
‘To be completely honest, I was watching Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan, but of course I saw the highlights of the Arsenal game,’ Ten Hag told Dutch outlet De Telegraaf.
‘And this season I’ve been able to watch a lot of Arsenal matches, so Jurrien’s leading role doesn’t surprise me.
‘You can send Timber, both of the Timbers [Jurrien and his brother Quinten, who plays for Feyenoord] on with any message.
‘Jurrien is a soldier, he’s ruthless and he knows that in top football it’s “eat or be eaten”. That’s how he sees it. He’s proactive, he doesn’t wait.
‘I’m happy with how Jurrien is manifesting himself at Arsenal. He’s become a regular player. And I’m sure he’ll slowly take on a leading role there.’
Ten Hag, 55, has been out of work since being sacked by Manchester United in November.
The Dutchman has been linked with jobs at several European clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, who are all but out of the Champions League following a 4-0 defeat to Barcelona.
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